


A Tolerance for Paine

by orphan_account



Category: Black Panther (2018), Black Panther (Comics), Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Ancient Egyptian Deities, Angst with a Happy Ending, Gen, M/M, Magical Realism, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-29
Updated: 2016-11-09
Packaged: 2018-08-27 17:43:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8410678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Sam thinks he's dreaming; he's sweet on the freaking King of Wakanda—T'Challa himself—and the dude likes him back. Barnes wakes up and ruins it.





	1. The Thing About Birds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt from Sam Wilson Defense Squad on the Tumbles! I basically wrote this entire thing to some of the Hamilton OST. Tbh, there needs to be more Hamilton involved in any Marvel-related thing. 
> 
> *cough*THATISAPOINTEDJABTOGETITSTARTEDPUNKS*cough* 
> 
> Enjoy~

* * *

**-Bumfuck Nowhere, Sorta-Kinda in Europe; 2016-**

Sam's job of teaching English to the locals of wherever the hell he is hard. The students are eager to learn, at least, and he gets a phone call from Steve and Wanda every once in a while. Scott emails him and Bucky.... Bucky's back on ice. Stuck as they had been in the blue Bug, he'd been a decent guy. 

Little weird, personally, but okay overall. 

So when Steve's number shows up on his display, he answers it with a decently cheerful tone. 

"Hey Steve. The Dora Milaje still kicking your ass for me?" 

"I am not the good Captain," the _King of Wakanda_ answers dryly. 

"Shit. Fuck. I am so sorry." Sam manages without stammering before curiosity wins out over embarassment. "Your Highness, why do you have Steve's phone?" 

"I told the Captain that I intended to send out invitations to each member of his team but wanted to ask each of you personally before issuing one. I don't think he relayed it due to—as you so aptly put it—getting his ass kicked by the Dora Milaje." 

"But why? A few months ago we were your enemies, Your Highness." Sam counters as he stirs his shitty coffee. "No offense, but I call that weird as fuck." 

The King of Wakanda has a gorgeous laugh, Sam thinks hazily as the man loses it over the phone. 

"At least my **former** enemies are more candid than most." 

"So we're not enemies, Your Highness?" 

"No, not anymore. Call me T'Challa, please, as I haven't laughed like that in, what my sister tells me, ages." 

"Tell you what," Sam answers as he cradles the flip-phone between his neck and cheek, "Have Steve give you the location of where I am and I'll say yes to your invitation, T'Challa." 

"So soon?" T'Challa murmurs in surprise.

"I miss actual, adult conversations. Please rescue me?" Sam pleads, grinning as he talks to someone other than his fellow Avengers. 

"I will have the jet readied," comes the amused reply. 

"Thank... you?" Sam starts to say but the dial tone reaches his ears a second afterward. He flops into the old plush armchair, only to have it creak omniously and break while he's in it. "Good thing His Majesty invited me to Wakanda."

* * *

He's awake when the knock on his door sounds. Sam's got a mouthful of cereal so he motions for Altai to do it, the Saker falcon cleverly landing on the latch handle and flying back onto his shoulder in moments. 

"Are you Samuel Wilson?" The stern-looking woman asking makes Sam swallow his lump of sugarless bran and raisins. "The one known as Falcon?" 

"That's me but Sam is good too." 

"My name is M'yra. I work for Princess Shuri in P.R.I.D.E. but I have been asked a favor by my King due to my former status as Dora Milaje. I am to escort you to Wakanda. You are considered a temporary citizen and as such, under the protection of asylum." M'yra states regally. "... Your accommodations are sparse." 

"A little. You hungry?" Sam asks as he watches her close the door with the heel of her boot and take in his very small, barely decorated place. 

"That you would offer is enough. I had a filling meal aboard His Majesty's plane." M'yra graciously declines and raises an elegant brow at the feathers littering his floor. "You slaughter food?" 

"Ah, no. They're mostly from—" The birds flutter in and settle on the table next to him, eyeing the new person but turning to Sam and each of them pressing their beaks to his scruffy cheek. "these little ones." 

"How do they stay so close?" M'yra takes a step forward and the birds start opening their wingspans. 

Sam hums as he shovels the rest of his bran down and offers the milk to his birds. "Grew up talking to them. They started talking back one day and never stopped." 

"Does your team know?" 

"They do." 

"Why not use such a talent?" 

"I did once," Sam shudders at the memory of the onslaught of birds against the base that fired the RPG that took out Riley. "They followed my order to the letter, to put it lightly." 

"You realize what strength your command then." She murmurs as she graces one of the rickety counter stools. 

"I... don't think anyone's put it that way, but yes, I'm aware. I'm packed already and I've let my roommate know I won't be back for a bit. Lemme just get the feathers cleaned up and do my bowl and we'll be out of here," Sam says. 

He picks up his bowl, rinses it out and scrubs it clean along with his spoon. The birds chatter amongst themselves as Altai starts grooming his curls from her position on his shoulder. 

"The one on your shoulder, he or she is special?" M'yra asks as she side-eyes the ravens crowding around her. 

"Altai's been with me for years. She's helped me through a lot. The birds argue but she wins." comes his reply as he dries his hands, writes out a quick, 'Watch my birds and my kids, please,' to his fellow expat and slings his ruck over his shoulder. "Vacate until my roommate comes back, please. And clean up your feathers. I'm going on a trip." 

The birds start pick up feathers as M'yra watches in astonishment. Within five minutes, all the feathers are cleared from the living space. 

"Thank you." He's piled with birds as they nuzzle him before taking off again. "Okay, I'm ready." 

"And... Altai?" 

"Coming with, of course." 

"I see."


	2. Trust and Cats

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *throws chapter up* 
> 
> Distraction chapter?

* * *

They have no trouble at all taking off from the airport in the private jet. 

Altai's asleep, her head tucked neatly under her dark brown wing. Sam's out in minutes with his head rolling back to expose his throat. 

T'Challa is in awe at the trust given to M'yra, dangerous as she is. He watches over his newest guest and allows his gaze to wander over the powerful frame sprawled over the elegant décor seats. 

Sam Wilson, alias of the superhero known as Falcon, is an interesting man. 

M'yra's blunt assessment complicates things. "He is dangerous, Majesty. The command he carries over birds is frightening. The way he moves speaks of a trained warrior used to perilous situations. Why you wanted to escort this one yourself is beyond me, Sir." 

"He calls to me," T'Challa murmurs, "to the deity I channel. A god speaking to a goddess. It is not without it's challenges." 

"His power comes from a being similar to our own protector?" M'yra's surprise tastes like the bittersweet edge of not-quite-ripe strawberries. 

"Perhaps. It thrums, his power, the same way I felt when I took within me the Heart-Shaped Herb. This will bear observation but it must be as inobtrusive as possible. I do not wish to test nor anger him." He thoughtfully adds. 

"Is that wise, my King?" M'yra asks. 

"Only time and the Goddess will tell."

* * *

The first thing Sam does after he touches Wakandan earth is to kick off his practical boots, pull off his socks and dig his toes into the thick, loamy earth beneath his feet. His falcon companion takes off into the sky and spirals as Sam hums softly. 

"Oh! I'm sorry," Sam's eyes snap open and the peaceful expression furrows into worry. "I don't mean to ignore you or M'yra, Your-T'Challa, but it's how I feel out the birds. Is what I'm doing alright?" 

T'Challa responds gently. "My country is yours to explore and if this is something you need to do then please do so." 

"Thank you." Sam's answering smile is blinding, the gap endearing him even further to T'Challa. M'yra makes a noise he commonly associates with her looking at Wakandan kittens. He knows that Sam could possibly have the whole palace wrapped around his finger by the second day of his stay if he kept smiling like that. 

Sam looks up and states, "Altai, sweetheart, anything good?" 

The falcon dives back down in a stunning display of strength and agility, spreading her wings at the last moment to land on Sam's shoulder. She peeps and kee-yees softly, nuzzling Sam with her beak in his hair and against his cheek. 

"What does she say?" He asks. 

"There's a lot of cats but nothing she can't handle," Sam replies as he picks up his boots with the socks still inside them. "Can I walk like this?" 

"Of course." 

T'Challa doesn't want to overwhelm his latest guest but Sam is open and interested in the country he now finds himself in. 

"It's so beautiful." Sam spins around to take in each sight and his face lights up at every new building and shop along the way. "How do you get that to stay in place?" 

The sculpture is razor thin and personally is one of T'Challa's better commissions. 

"Vibrainum is a very flexible metal. That one is my favorite." He mentions. "Are you hungry? That was a long nap you had." 

"Now that you mention it... I am a little hungry."

"Have you heard of sambusas?" M'yra offers as she keeps an eye on the crowd. 

"No but I'm willing to try." Sam replies. 

"Excellent. There is a shop just across the way." T'Challa points out.


	3. Summarization of Not-Fic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I no longer feel comfortable writing this, I'll sum up/give you the not fic of what remains. 
> 
> It's nothing against the readers, it's that I think I'm not qualified to be writing BP fic. 
> 
> Thank you for reading!

* * *

It turns out that sambusas are delicious. Sam has five before he slows down and realizes who he's eating in front of... Only to have T'Challa and M'yra laugh. 

He swallows his mouthful and is about to ask what's so funny when they answer him. 

"Everyone who comes here does that." M'yra chuckles. "Your friend, the Captain, he put away quite the pile. The... reformed one in cryo also ate many sambusas." 

"Oh." Altai churrs from her perch and Sam sticks out his tongue before splitting number six in half. "Yeah, yeah, here." 

"Does she speak to you?" T'Challa asks. 

"It's not _technically_ speech." Sam answers as Altai practically inhales the sambusa. "Here, take the rest, you glutton. It's feelings, images and sometimes—when I've known them long enough—I get words." 

"Is it a mutation?" M'yra interrogates. 

"We're not actually sure. It runs in the family but only on my Mom's side and it skips generations at a time." Sam offers as he goes back to eating. "It's always been in the family." 

"If we are making you uncomfortable, please let us know. We don't mean to pry." T'Challa's quick to reassure. 

"Nah. You're fine. I don't really use it in front of people."

* * *

T'Challa and Sam were supposed to get nice and close. 

They find out that Sam's protector is Horus, having watched over Sam's line for years after a priest of his got (illegally) married and followed the line across the ocean when one of the descendants got captured as a POW from another tribe. 

As Bast/Bastet/Sekhmet is related to Horus through marriage/being married to him (in some myths), she also took an interest in Sam. 

Aka Gods are happy that descendants like each other. 

Bucky wakes up and spends most of his time with Steve but also some with T'Challa & Shuri for his arm, since where Shuri is, so is T'Challa, which is a sibling thing. 

There's some miscommunication but it eventually gets fixed and happy schmoop ending without taking into account either too much of Civil War's plot or the Infinity Wars. 

The recipe for the sambusas is down below.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recipe: http://www.africa-news.eu/life-style/lifestyle/lifestyle/recipe-sambusa-ethiopian-appetizer.html


End file.
